Forums of course deal in the apocryphal, the titillating, the sensational. That's their stock in trade. It's what fuels them. No wonder then that they take so many things out of context. Whether Honda's idle drop procedure, the ethanol question, or any of the myriad of things they just don't understand, forums love to make mountains out of mole hills, and frequently, vice versa. Powersports user forums are in essence the Twilight Zone of the industry, positioned as they are on the extreme edge of believability, more entertainment than enlightenment. Their narrative on Honda's change to a cam cover having pinned rocker arem shafts is just one example. First, the rocker shafts would have to rotate a considerable amount--essentially constantly--before the cover would start to be "walloed out". Second, the shafts don't rotate at all unless the valve clearances are neglected and become so tight that torsional torque increases on the shafts. Lastly, most career Honda mechanics opted to preload the shafts and thereby preempt the possibility of rotation, effectively duplicating the goal of the pinned cover. My own machine went over 90,000 miles without the original unpinned cover.

The subject of Honda Service Letter 500/550 #8, the much talked about, mid-production, pinned cam cover. K model engines #1083641 and later and F models #1133172 and later came with the revised cover from the factory. Not really necessary in my opinion, though if you can get one, it is preferred, especially if you have modified your engine.